I’ll reboot my company since Automation has changed a lot since I last posted anything and I wanted to change the name from Tuukka Motors to Thomas Motors since I’d like the name to be more international. I’ll keep the old ones here though, because I think they were good and people seemed to like them (thanks!).
Here are the old ones:
Here is the 20 year evolution of TM Potatismos, a cheap hatchback. I’ll show 3 milestones but of course the car would’ve had some smaller facelifts along the way.
First the Mk 1 made in 1979, manufactured in Romania, cheap and slow with a 1.2L very low tech engine, but it gets you from point A to point B:
The 1999 model had a 1.6L 89 HP engine. This was the last model, production ended in 2001. In 1999 Tuukka Motors also entered the World Rally Championship with a version of Potatismos called Potatismos RC, with a 2.0L turbocharged engine producing 300 HP.
Americo is a sub brand of Tuukka Motors for US markets (Yanks can’t pronounce silly European names ). This ridiculousness is Americo Velociraptor. 4.4L Twin turbo V8 accelerates it from 0 to 100 KPH in 3.8 seconds.
TM’s Sports car sub-brand Kaveri Motorsport produced this entry level sports coupé, called the KM 100, from 1985 to 1994. Cheap (for a sports car) front wheel drive coupé with styling influenced by Mazda RX 7. This Targa model has a 2.2 l naturally aspirated DOHC 4-cylinder engine producing 175 horsepower.
[quote=“accent”]TM’s Sports car sub-brand Kaveri Motorsport produced this entry level sports coupé, called the KM 100, from 1985 to 1994. Cheap (for a sports car) front wheel drive coupé with styling influenced by Mazda RX 7. This Targa model has a 2.2 l naturally aspirated DOHC 4-cylinder engine producing 175 horsepower.
[attachment=0]1990_KM_100_Targa.jpg[/attachment][/quote]
I love the sun roof! Also, liked very much the side black line on your early models. I like to use silver ones myself,inspired by my love to my old 1968 KarmannGhia (which unfortunately I had to sell years ago)
I’ll reboot my company since Automation has changed a lot since I last posted anything and I wanted to change the name from Tuukka Motors to Thomas Motors since I’d like the name to be more international and I didn’t really like having my real name showing up every time I want to use the full name of the company instead of just TM. I’ll keep the old ones here though, because I think they were good and people seemed to like them (thanks!).
So, let’s start with the new ones! Amerigo is an American car company that was bought by TM and remains the manufacturer of TM’s vehicles intended for the American market. It is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the explorer who America is named after. Their flagship model is the Empire, which is a personal luxury car competing with cars like Cadillac Eldorado.
Here is a timeline of different Empire models from the 1940’s to this day.
In the late 1980’s TM realized they needed a hot hatch. Thus the TM Slider was born. Sports car manufacturer Raggari Automobile was commissioned to design the engine for the top trim level which became known as RP for Raggari Performance edition.
The 1988 model had a 1.6 L DOHC I4 producing 120 horsepower. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h happened in 7.9 seconds and the top speed was 201 km/h.
Car critics praised the handling as appropriately sporty and nimble for a hot hatch but still comfortable and safe for everyday use. The styling was criticized as bland and the fuel economy wasn’t very good but the car was cheaper than most competing models. The low price and good performance made the car fairly popular despite criticism of the looks and economy. Later it was considered somewhat of a cult classic and many Slider RP owner’s clubs popped up around the globe.
1995 came the Mk II Slider with the RP trim level having a 2.0L DOHC I4 that produced 166 horsepower. The 0-100 km/h time was a bit quicker at 7.1 seconds and top speed climbed to 218 km/h. The handling was less sporty and the car was more expensive than the previous generation, so it failed as a hot hatch, but the lower trim levels were considered good hatchbacks with a tame, easy handling, stylish and smart interior and good safety features.
Mk III Slider was introduced in 2004. The RP engine was still a 2.0L DOHC I4 but this time with a turbo charger, giving the top trim level the designation RPT. 226 horsepowers accelerated the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds and the top speed was 250 km/h. The car was equipped with an advanced (and expensive) MultiLink suspension but the handling was still considered poor compared to the earlier models. After one year of production the RPT trim level was discontinued and TM hasn’t introduced new hot hatches since. The standard TM Slider continues to be a somewhat successfull hatchback though, largely due to a high level of passenger safety and comfort.
And here are the logos of Thomas Motors and Raggari Automobile. Raggari might sound Italian, but it’s actually a Finnish slang word meaning something like a young troublemaker, a ruffian or hooligan or something like that.
One more car for tonight: 2014 TM Feels is a luxury sedan with a 300 hp six cylinder engine. It is partly based on a concept car TM made in the nineties for a science fiction film. In the film the concept car played the part of a 2020’s limousine used by the movie’s villain.
TM’s getting into electric cars. Let’s pretend that the heavy, high revving, high torque 6 cylinder engine in this is an electric motor and lots of batteries.
This is a story of TM’s first car, the Family Friend, and later cars sharing the name.
The Family Friend was introduced during the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. It was a midpriced large family car. Styling was influenced by the British Mark III Humber Hawk. The car was relatively successful in Northern Europe, particularly in its home country, Finland. Minor facelifts kept the model going through the 1950’s, but by 1960 it was deemed well behind times both stylingwise and technologically. Production ended that year.
In 1974 TM Introduced a new version of the Family Friend. Several car magazines dubbed it the ugliest car of the year 1974. To offset this, the car was fairly comfortable, safe and reliable. It was favored by caravaners, as the engine had lots of torque and the ride comfort was perfect for long roadtrips.
Following General Motors’ acquisition of TM in the early 1990’s, yet another whole new Family Friend was developed. This time the car was based on the Opel Omega and featured similar styling and same two liter engine.
The Opel Omega -based Family Friend continues to be a successful car to this day. At a bit higher price range than previous models, the newest model is considered by some to be an entry level luxury car. This has been problematic to TM as it’s stepping on the toes of TM’s other luxury model, the Feels, which has lost some of its sales to the cheaper Family Friend, even though the Family Friend’s target audience remains upper class families rather than people looking specifically for a luxury car.
The Mk II TM Slider (see a few posts up) became quite popular in tuner circles. All kinds of aftermarket parts are available. Popular modifications include wider wheel arches, clear light fixtures and removing badges. Here is one example where the engine has been tuned to produce 185 horsepower and many parts of the body have been changed.
). This ridiculousness is Americo Velociraptor. 4.4L Twin turbo V8 accelerates it from 0 to 100 KPH in 3.8 seconds.
